Abstract:
SIGNIFICANCE :
Mentorship has always been a key component of postgraduate student education, and it is becoming
increasingly important in the academic environment. Strong mentorship is widely recognised as a key aspect
of professional development and career success. Our view is that mentorship is a lifelong process extending
beyond just teaching, and encompasses a wide range of aspects of the relationship between someone who
is more experienced and someone who is less experienced people. We see this as a two-way process, where
both mentee and mentor benefit. It is ideally a personal relationship in which mentors are well respected
in their fields, earning the respect of their mentees, who benefit from the ideas, insights and skills of their
mentors. We argue that the lives and careers of both students and academics would benefit from universities
establishing formal, non-bureaucratic structures to promote positive mentorship